MIC pledges clean sweep of lost federal seats

MIC has pledged to win back all the parliamentary seats it lost in the 2008 general election.

Party president G Palanivel said he is confident MIC would make a clean sweep of these seats, after announcing its candidates for the 13th general election today.

Palanivel confirmed that he would contest the Cameron Highlands seat, while SK Devamany would be moved to Sungai Siput and secretary-general S Murugesan would contest the Kota Raja parliamentary seat.

MIC lost both the Kota Raja and Sungai Siput parliamentary seats in the 2008 "political tsunami".

The Sungai Siput incumbent MP is PSM's Dr Michael Jeyakumar, who won under a PKR banner, while Kota Raja's incumbent is PAS' Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, who thrashed MIC's S Vigneswaran with a massive majority of 20,751 votes.

However, in spite of earlier speculations, Pemandu director Ravindran Devagunam was not fielded as MIC's candidate for the Kaparparliamentary seat, which the party lost in 2008.

A local MIC leader in Kapar, A Saktivel, has been given the mandate to face-off with PKR newcomer G Manivannan, who will replace the incumbent P Manickavasagam, who is moving to a state seat.

Manickavasgam defeated MIC's P Komala Devi with a 12,297-vote majority in the 2008 election.Jeram Padang state assembly incumbent VS Mogan will move to the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat, which MIC lost to PKR in 2008.

Party vice-president M Saravanan and Putera MIC chief P Kamalanathan will defend their current seats of Tapah and Hulu Selangor respectively.

Palanivel said his confidence in MIC winning all the parliamentary seats comes from a feeling that all the seats are "winnable", based on the generous Indian population strewn there, and increasing support for the BN from the people.